Tic Sweden

Popped buttons ditch needle and thread for a quick new fix

It's hard to find something cuter than a button. Shiny and simple, the notion serves a single, important purpose—aside from providing fairytale currency—but can be downright infuriating when it chooses to go asunder.

Enter Tic, a cheeky little device developed in Sweden by Karolina Rantfors, Mats Gabrielsson and Ljubo Mrnjavac (who have wisely taken the liberty of patenting their clever invention). Tic also holds but one purpose: to reattach a button to an item of clothing without the need for needle and thread. The claw-like plastic tool works in just a few steps—pinch, squeeze and twist—inserting a tiny fastener in the buttonholes to affix the errant button back to its shirt.

Tic has done its research, examining the dimensions of buttons to conclude that, in most cases, the holes in any two buttons are the same distance apart, meaning that one Tic can work across the board. Plus, the Tic is not just a temporary fix for a button that has fallen off, but can be used to form what the founders claim is a better, more reliable connection.

For such a seemingly small matter, the best method for fixing a button—traditional needle and thread or nifty plastic fastener—sparked quite a debate at CH HQ. We're a house divided over environmental concerns, aesthetics, innovation, convenience and the death of good, old-fashioned domestic skills. Let us know what you think over on Facebook. Those who side with Tic may purchase the device from their web shop. Tic comes in black or white packs of four for 49 SEK or about $7 USD.